Voices from a Moun­tain Vil­lage, 2006

Per­form­ance, digit­al video, HD 1920 × 1080 16:9

05:40 min

Filmed in Toge, Niigata, Japan

Cam­era and sound by Mar­cus Coates

Trans­lat­or / inter­pret­er: Aiko Goodenough

Com­mis­sioned and pro­duced by Grizedale Arts as part of the Grizedale Arts res­id­ency pro­ject ​‘Sev­en Samurai’

Sup­por­ted by Ech­igo Tsumari Tri­en­nale, Japan

Sev­en artists were guests of the moun­tain vil­lage of Toge, a rice grow­ing area in Niigata province. Coates filmed res­id­ents of the vil­lage in their houses. they sang along to the slowed down bird songs of wild birds in their area. The film was sped up to the ori­gin­al speed of the bird­song enabling their voices to sound like the bird’s.